Stock-control system



May 29, 192s.

G. R. GUILD STOCK CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed July 25, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet IN l1 M v oursr n.

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Puxfunssv IN VEN TOR.

/4- WMS l 4 ATToRNEY May 29, 192s. 1,6711929 G. R. GUILD sTocK CONTROL SYSTEM original Filed July 25, 1924 5 sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. G'fo'fcf E. Gump,

ATTORNEYS.'

May 29, 1928. 1,671,929

G. R. GUILD STOCK CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed July .25. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 EHW To VVE/m RECORD oF 19mm-1 Lxm.

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Patented May 29, 1928.

g UNITED STATES [PATENT oFFlca.Y

GEORGE R. GILD, OF SNYDER, NEW YORK.

STOCK-CONTROL SYSTEM. l

i vApplieation'iled July 25, 1924, Serial No. 728,069. Renewed February 4, 1927.

This invention pertains to a system and means for controlling stock and styles of merchandise dealt in, principally by depart ment stores, but which is applicable also to other types of retail stores, jobbing houses and factories, asr lwell as warehouses` and the like where i stock of goods is maintained.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a means to maintain' a lperpetual inventory of lstock inV various departments of a store to avery accurate degree. On the one hand, this acts torprevent the department from running out of stock, and, on the other hand, prevents the overstocking of the department. Heretofore, departments have been handicapped 4by runningoutof stock either on the lselling Hoor, in reserve stock rooms, or in thevwarehouise, so as to have none on hand between that time and the time necessary to replenish that stock, thereby losing sales and possibly customers, and, on the rother hand, merchandise which has not had the anticipated sale, has been overstocked to such van extent as to tie up large sums of money over a considerable period of time. The system embodying this invention provides a means for controlling the stock and merchandise in such a way thatv it is kept moving without the hazard of running out.y andwith the minimum investment tiedupin reserve stock or stock on hand. This is accomplished in the manner which willbe hereafter more specifically set forth and described. y y

The invention further accomplishes the purpose of causing the stock on hand to :be moved and the elimination of dead7 or slow. moving merchandise. The system and means employed therein, in a semi-'automatic way, gives notice to the head of the department when certain merchandise has been in stock for a given period of time. By means of this notice, merchandise may be reduced in price Vor put on sale for the purpose of disposing of it, and at the end of an additional period of time, if it has not yet been dispsed of, it can be further reduced or further effort may be made for its sale, so that it is finally disposed of and will not continue to remain unsold indefinitely. Due to the slow selling of such merchandise, as will be indicated by the system, the further purchase thereof or dealing therein may be avoided, so that such dead merchandise Otherwise, from an ignorance of the history of such merchandise, wherein this invention i is not employed, repetition may occur.

Another feature of the invention, as applied to style merchandise, such as coats, suits, dresses and the like, in addition to the above, will permit of the visualizing thereof by the buyers and managers to such an extent as to enable them to control their -purchases,as to styles, colors, prices and sizes; to control their sale,-by giving special attention to those not readily moved, and reducing the price to provide ready sale; and further to prevent confusion by the return of garments soldat one price after other garments of the same style,remaining in the department have been reduced in price for effecting the sale thereof.`

At the present time, applicants system has been successfully used in several large i department stores as pertaining to the classes of comparatively staple articles, such as toilet goods and notions and to style merchandise such as Womens and misses dresses, coats, suits, sweaters and knit goods, petticoats, skirts, corsets and also furniture, house furnishings and warehouse merchandise in such manner as to fully establish the advantages above pointed out and the value thereof in reducing investment in stock carried thereby, and loss due to unsaleable or slow selling articles.

The means employed in the system for effecting this operation comprises briey a card index system provided with sliding indicating tabs on a graduated scale as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which will hereafter be more specifically set forth and described. In additlon to the indicating tabs and their relative positioning on a graduated scale, another structural feature of the invention plays an important part, and that is theremovable indicating strips and the means for inte'rlocking them about the ends of the cards `along the lower edge thereof, whereby they will be held in proper position.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying draw ings and the following description' and claims:

fil

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lower portion of one of the cards embodied in the system, which card represents a record of garments, such as dresses, at a certain price line7 showing the Vfirst position of the indicating tabs at inventory.- Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. l, showing the relative positions of thetabs after sales have been made. 'Fig'. 3 isy the same as Fig. 2, showing the relative positions ,of the tabs after sales have been made and after some garment have `been returned by customers and placed back into stock, Fig. 4 is the same as Fig.V 3, showing the relative positions of the tabs uponthe further sale of goods and uponthe return to the manufacturer of goods formerly in stock. I Fig. 5 is the same as Fig. 4 showing the relative positions of the tabs at `the.beginning of a new sales-period while Fig. 4 is assumed to represent the end of the .preceding sales period. Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. 5,

showing the relative positions of the tabs when the stock has been exhausted by sales of that amount. Fig. 7 is a plan viewlof one type of record card, being the year card for garment merchandise under price lines.,

with the tabs positioned on the scale to show the result in' sales and stock on hand of the factors of the transactions expressed on. the year card. Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a plan View showinga modified form of card as applied to toilet goods. Fig. lOvis an end elevation thereof. Fig, 11 isa plan view of a card applied tothe record of seasonable mechandise. Fig. 12 is a plan view of a card used in recording merchandise in accordance with colors and sizes. Fig. 13 is a front elevation showing the arrangement of a group of the cards arranged by price lines. Fig. 14 is a plan view of a card showing a modified forni thereof. Fig. 15 is the same as Fig. 14 showing an end elevation thereof. Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a modified form. Fig. 17 is the same as Fig. 16 showingr an end elevation thereof.

In the drawings there is illustrated in Fig. 7 a record card holder or backing 10,

y adapted to besupported on `a rack by a cross piece l1. A plurality of such holders may thus be supported, one over the other, so that the lower edge is exposed, asis conimonly the practice in card record systems.

This arrangementl of the car-cls in the racl;

is illustrated in Fig. 13. The support is provided with slots 12 for receiving` the upper corners-of the record cards 13. Along the lower edge of the card support or backl,ing 10 a Celluloid strip 14, doubled lengthlwise so as to be U-shapedin cross section is secured by the staples 15. The card is printed in any suitable manner, and, as shown in Fig. 7 there are provided. spaces for recording month by month, the transactions affecting the garments in stock at :the particular price line represented by that card, and as each transaction occurs thel sales or stock tab is moved so as to always Avisibly register the correct balance.

of the card the name, price, style, or other indicia of the goods may be written as shown in Figs. 1, 9, 11, and 13.

Mounted over the lower edge of the card and inserted under the face of the celluloid strip 14, there is providedv an insertable strip 16, which has the lower central portion cut away so as not to obstruct the matter written on the lower edge of the card,

` whereby the lower portion of the tabs posi-v tioned along the lower edge of the record card and underneath this strip may be visible, as shown in Fig. 1.

However, if desired, the scale 'may be printed on the'record card and the description and name of the goods may beventered on the inserted strip, asshown-in Fig. 14'.

As the ends of this inserted strip wrap f around the edges of the record card, and as it rests within the Celluloid holder, it forms a permanent index and remains in place when a record card is removed and a newv one entered in its stead, thus the index `of the entire file of cardsis not disturbed by their removal when replacing old cards by new ones.

1f desired, this inserted strip may extend above the edge of the Celluloid holder, and be held in place in that holder by slits in the record card, as shown in Fig. 16.

Slidably mounted under the Celluloid strip 14 and the strip 16 so as to lie adjacent the face of the card, there is a pair of indicating tabs 17 and 18. Said tabs are provided on one end .with a curved or flanged vportion 19 adapted to extend along the lower edge of the'card so as to be maintained in place'. Said tabs may be formed of Celluloid or any other suitable materialand are preferably given distinctive colorssuch that the tabs 17 and 18 may be readily distinguished.;

For the purpose of illustrating the manlll) ner of operating the system, twomethods l will be described, the 'one a method of recording style merchandise, such asgarments of the same price line, and the other a Amethod of recording staple merchandise, such as toilety goods. For example, there may be many similar garments all priced alike, on hand at the beginning of a period,

as, for instance, 38 garments at $29.50. The

stock tab 18 is then set with its left edge intersecting the 38 on the scale, see Fig. 1. Out of thisl stock, salesl are'made, day by day, and the sales tab 17 is moved along f vof 12 garments remaining thescalerto indicate these sales.V vForink stance, in Fig.. 2 thestock tab -Ir18 .still'remains at 38but the sales tab 17 has moved until its rightedge intersects 14 on the scale,

.thus recording 1.4 `garments sold. lto date out of a stock 015.38 garmentsor 24 `garment-s on hand. Customers Who have purchased garments may returnsome, andxtlnsislshown recorded in Fig. 3 by a .reversemovement of.,

in Fig. 4, and during the sameperiod thereI have been. 6 l,unsatlsfactory garments re.

turned .to the manufacturer, or 6 garments reduced tok a lower price line, thus' leaving 20 garments sold outof a stock of 32 garments, or 12 garments on hand.

At thesame timethat these. operations are recorded, as above described, by movement-s of.V the tabs along. they scale, suitable entries have been made on the record card. It will therefore be observedthat the'tabs actually operate as a visualizing agent vof the computations on the record card, giving the net resultsl of card `entries at all times.

It', at the end of the sales period, the tabs are as shown in Fig. 4, gthe entries on the record card should agree, and should show net sales of 20 garments, out ofja stock oi. 32 garments. Withy a consequent balance on hand, andthe card would be so totalled.

The sales period being-over, and totals suitably recordedon the carda new card can be entered and the tabs moved leftward .along the scale, still maintaining the scale interval of 12garments,- until they sales tab is atzero and the stock l.tab isat 12 on the scale, and the newsales period begins. This is shown by Fig. 5. Which is a ref-*positioning of t'hetabssh'own inF ig. 4, maintaining the same recordy of 12 garments still7 on hand. N ow, if Without any increase in stock, additional sales are made in .the'neiv sales period day by day until thatstock of 12 garments is exhausted, the ksalestab Will. approach thestock tab, and Will lie` adjacent to it, each recording 12v onthescale, when the stock is exhausted, orgnet sales of 12 garment-s out oa stock of 12 garments with .a consequent balance or' nov garments .on

hand.

Should garments be on order, aticket, as

shown ingFig.- 9.l can Vindicate that fact, Which ticket will be removed and the stock tab re-Set tol 50.0n the scale when the20 articles on order are received. V

Thus in a panel consistingof many cards, the lower edge of each exposedin a celluloid holder. and each card recordinga dif- 'erent priceline, there isator'ded,lby means yare being made. l,F1 A i i,

l he samefprinciple can be made use of dozen,

ofthev positioning of these sales and stoel;

tabsrjon vtheir scales, an instant and ready v meansof. visualizing the net sales of each .ofmany different price lines, and the correspondingstocks against which these sales tocrecordv they number of garments sold and` on handaccording to the months in Which Such. a panel is shown in .'theyvwere purchased, thus affording an agey ing recordsee yF ig. 11. Also, thel principle can be made use of to record the garments of each color, or size, sold during a period outlofacertain, stock onhand (-see Fig. 12).` As applied to staple merchandise, for example,toil et goods, wherein several thoue sand. articles are maintained'in stock and from which sales are made, the same prlnciple applies. Each different item of merchandise isgiven a card, and upon thiscard the lsales andstock tabs are set on the scale,

exactly as described `forrv style merchandise articles. During the period, usually a cal-v endar month, incoming stock isrecorded on thescale by amovementof the stock tab 18and`withdrawals' against :this stock are recorded bymovement of the sales `tab 17-. AtV the'endrof the period the positions of these tabs on the, scale .can be notedand entered as totals `on the.y record card, and the ytabs ,re-set as :described for style. merchandise articlesand `shown in Fig. 5. The description givenof Figs. 1,2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 as applied to aprice line record for style mer chandise articlesapplies lalso yto a record staple merchandise, merelysubstituting the name of the article yon the card for staple merchandise, for the amount of the price line` lon thecard as shown for style merchandise.

By reason of this means of recording the condition ofthe staple or toilet goods Stock,

it may be replenished and controlled `entirelyby the positioning of the tabs through yclerks rather than through a manager, oi-

cer or` buyer of aconcern, as heretofore. Furthermore, since the clerk in strict accordance Withthe above places a new 'order for the., merchandise, when the supply reaches a certain point,`there is little or no danger of itsbeing entirely depletedwith the accompanying loss of sales and customers. On the other hand, assume in this instance, (Fig. 9) that the quantity to be purchased is 2() and the minimum quantity to be reached before the order is glven is 6 dozen on hand, there will never be more than 36 dozen ofV such articles. onhand, which AWill y effect a saving in reserve stock space and investment. as Well asactual loss if itis a sloivselling article.

'In event the green lsales tab 17 is not moving or only moved slightly over a period of 30 days, forexample, this fact Will be readily observed byglancing over the entire file.

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by' simply glancing over the file, articles which in one way or another should be elim-I4 inated from' the stock, and which should vnot be v'dealt in thereafter. Heretofore, even though such stock-slowly Vsold over a` long period of "time, when it was exhausted, an

appreciable new supply would beobt'ainedA` since there would be nothing to visiblyindicate its slow selling` ability.

Although an example of the system has been given with respect to style merchandise and toilet articles or similar staples, the same system and sliding tab arrangement maybe applied to any articles of stock, which articles may also 'be recorded in various ways,fsuch as by price lines, seasons, colors, sizes, etc., as shown' herein.

In the modifiedform shown in 9 the indicatingV strip 116 is provided `with the scale printed thereon somewhat above its loweredge. The'eiids of said strip are folded around the inwardly cut edges of the card 13 as above described for holding it in place. Adjacent each end of the strip 116 there are provided slots' 25 and openings 26 immedi-` ately 'below fthem 'Tlie'order'card 27 may be insertedin theJ slot so that the date Written thereon may be visiblethrough the opening Q6. On the' other endfthe latest price7 ticket Q8 may be inserted through the corresponding slot Q5 so that the latest price7 written thereon will be visible through'the opening 26. This type of card is particularly adaptable to be used for toilet goods and'similar staple articles, because the strips can be printed in sheet form and Vcut into strips Aafter the. names of articles have been typed on them."

structure `is similar to that shown anddescribed in' respect to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, as applied to recording goods with respect to seasons. For this purpose on the left hand end of the indicating` strip loathe code letter' of the season is written', and on the right hand end the month is written. For each class of goods, such as ladies garments, there maybe a group of l12 or more such cards, one or more for each month. The position 'of the red and green tabs will therefore indicate the sale and stock on hand of the January, February, or March, etc., gai ments. f

The modified form shown in Fig. 12 may be used to record the sale and stock on hand of garments with respect to colors and sizes. In this instance the strip 16 may have written on the left hand end the code number for to Weed' out" In the modified form shown in Fig.r 11 the a 'certain' color where-as 'on 'the right hand end `the Vcolor ritself maybe'written. The f cards are groupedin accordance with the generalnature yor classification ofthe goods, and the'various sizes of thegarm'ents of any particular color which are onhand or have been sold will be indicated in the body of herein'. It is suiiicient card 13, said card liavingmounted thereonl immediately above the'sc'ale the vindicating strip Q16 which has its ends folded back under the card between Vthe shoulders V30 formed by cutting a shallow recess in each edge of the lcard-offtl'ie same width asfthe strip. T his arrangement securely'- interlocks the card and strip, particularly when posi-l vtioned between thecelluloid strip andfbacking v10V card 13 is provided"withupwardly extending slots 31- in the flower' edge "thereof 'In the modified form shown' in Fig'. `1 the l through which the ends of theindicatingstrip 316 may extend so asl to be folded backadjacent-the* back surface '0f-the -cardf13. Thecard 13 will therefore havespace left adjacent eachA end thereof for having writ# ten thereon the number'of articles in a unit and the minimum number of units lthat there should be on hand vbefore placing a new or-l der or any yother desiredinformation.

The invention claimed is :f

1. A perpetual inventory andstock record system, comprising 'a plurality*n of record cards, a scale associated with eachof said cards, meansI associated with said scale for' indicating on said scale the quantity of merchandise on hand, and a second means'independent'of said lirstanentioned'means for indicatiiigvthereon the quantity 'sold.-y

2. A'perpetual inventory and stock record system,1` comprising a plurality otrecor'd cards, a scale associated on each of Vsaid cardsvwith respect to said `scale for indicating thereonby their rela?- scale for indicating` thereon by their relative position to each other the quantity of mer chandise sold as against the quantity on hand. f

4. A perpetual inventory and stock record system, comprising av plurality of `record cards, a scaleassociated with each of said cards, a tab sli'dably mounted on said card' with each of said cards, and indicating -tabs slidably mounted with respect to said scale for indicating thereon the quantity of merchandise on hand, and a second tab slidably mounted thereon and movable with respect to said first-mentioned tab for indicating the quantity of merchandise sold as against the quantity on hand.

5. A perpetual inventory and stock record system, comprising a plurality of record cards, an indicating scale positioned along the lower edge of each of said cards, a transparent strip secured to the lower edge of each of said cards through which said scale may be observed, and a pair of tabs slidably mounted between said transparent strip and card adapted to be slidably moved to a position `for indicating by their relative position to each other on said scale the quantity of merchandise on hand.

6. A perpetual inventory and stock record system, comprising a record card and a pair of tabs slidably mounted on said' card for visualizing by their relative positions the quantity of merchandise on hand and the quantity of merchandise sold during a given period as against the original stock.

7. In a perpetual inventotry and stock record system, a supporting back piece, a transparent strip secured at its ends over the lower edge thereof, a record card adapte-d to be inserted between said transparent strip and back piece, said record card being cut away adjacent its ends, and an indicating strip adapted to be positioned adjacent the lower edge of said record card behind said transparent strip and having its ends interlocked therewith by being folded about said cutaway portion.

8. In a perpetual inventory and stock record system, a supporting back piece, a transparent strip secured at its ends over the lower edge thereof, a record card adapted to be inserted between said transparent strip and back piece, projecting shoulders formed on the ends of said record card by cutting away a portion thereof, and an indicating strip mounted between said record card and transparent strip having its ends folded about the ends of said record card in position to abut the shoulders formed thereon for maintaining the same in position with respect thereto.

9. In a perpetual inventory and stock record system, a supporting back piece, a transparent strip secured at its ends over the lower edge thereof, a record card adapted to be inserted between said transparent strip and back piece, said record card being provided with reduced ends adjacent the lower edges thereof whereby a shoulder is formed between said reduced ends and the body of the card, and an indicating strip adapted to be positioned along the lower edge of said card between the face thereof and said transparent strip, said indicating strip having its extreme ends folded about the reduced edges of the card to abut said shoulders and be interlocked therewith in a given position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

GEORGE R. GUILD.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,671,929. Granted May 29, 1928, to

GEORGE R. GUILD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printedspecificat'ion of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 101, after the word "record" insert the word "for"; and that said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of July, A, D. 1928.

Y M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patenti. 

